The Hurry Up is your nightly dose of updates from the Ohio State football recruiting trail, keeping tabs on the latest from commits and targets from around the country.
NEW BREED
Though he recently took an unofficial visit to Ohio State, Ellenwood, Georgia, Cedar Grove four-star wide receiver Jadon Haselwood committed to Georgia this afternoon.
Good afternoon, everybody. I have made my college decision. I am committing to .... https://t.co/cDwq2TKWuj
— G.O.A.T (@Bcg_jadon) March 9, 2017
Things have been trending toward the Bulldogs for quite some time, so the news comes as no surprise. The visit to Columbus was simply a formality to make sure he was making the right decision.
"I took a visit to Georgia in January and I loved it," Haselwood told Rivals Recruiting Analyst Chad Simmons. "It was the next night over the phone that I told coach [Kirby] Smart that I wanted to commit. I knew it was where I wanted to be, so I gave him a call."
With nearly two years until he signs his letter of intent, however, the Buckeyes will surely try to change his mind.
AS EXPECTED
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas four-star cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. narrowed down his list of more than 40 scholarship offers on Wednesday night, including Ohio State alongside Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Miami in his Top 5.
I Will Be Committing In The Summer ! #Tribe18 #Storm18 #GoBucks #RollTide #GoTigers pic.twitter.com/vY0rr0d9Bn
— Asante Samuel (@godschild3_) March 9, 2017
"They have been one of my old favorites, and guys that went to St. Thomas Aquinas [like Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa and wide receiver Trevon Grimes] are recruiting me to come to their school," Samuel Jr. told Eleven Warriors. "[They're telling me] that it's a good organization and if you want to go to the NFL, come up there with them."
The 5-foot-10, 166-pound Samuel is considered the 14th-best corner and No. 108 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He's never been to campus, but plans to pay Columbus a visit before making a decision.
Samuel's father, you may recall, was a four-time NFL Pro Bowler, helping the New England Patriots to two Super Bowls. But he's also made quite the name for himself, recording 44 tackles, 19 pass break ups and seven interceptions in his career to help the Raiders to three-straight state titles.
BACK TO THE PEACH STATE
Ohio State offered a scholarship early Thursday morning to Tucker, Georgia, three-star linebacker Michael Harris.
Honored, Blessed and Thankful for receiving an offer from The Ohio State University # @RecruitGeorgia @markpantoni @tOSURecruiting pic.twitter.com/97UyRCJcBs
— Money Mike (@Illionairemike) March 9, 2017
The 6-foot-2, 213-pound Harris is considered the 15th-best inside linebacker and No. 346 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
Harris, who was at Lovejoy last season, recorded 122 tackles this season, 12 tackles for a loss and five pass break ups for the Wildcats on his way to being named the Region 4-6A defensive player of the year. He transferred to Tucker this offseason.
A LEG UP
The Buckeyes also extended an offer to Huntington, West Virginia, Spring Valley offensive tackle Doug Nester during his unofficial visit on Thursday afternoon.
Very Honored and Blessed to announce that I have received an offer from The Ohio State University #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/kW4P9N1dg0
— Doug Nester (@Freshie74) March 9, 2017
"[Ohio State has] been my favorite school ever since I was little," Nester told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Nester is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but will undoubtedly be one of the more highly sought-after prospect in the Class of 2019. He already holds offers from Florida, Louisville, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Nester was an all-state selection after helping the Timberwolves rack up 4,997 rushing yards on their way to the state title game.
FACE PALM
When you've extended more than 150 scholarship offers to underclassmen in all corners of the country, it might be pretty difficult to get all of their names right -- don't worry, we're good to go.
Ohio state sent me some mail that say "Jason Copeland"
— Jacob Copeland (@JCope5era) March 9, 2017
That's Pensacola, Florida, Pine Forest four-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland, not "Jason." In their defense, the Buckeyes only recently offered Copeland, but that's certainly not the way to build a solid relationship.
If you'll recall, five-star defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon decommitted from Michigan last August after he received a thank-you letter from the staff for attending a barbecue he and his family never made it to. It apparently wasn't that big of a deal, though, as Solomon reupped with the Wolverines on signing day.
Time will tell if it will impact Ohio State's chances with Copeland, but he seems like a lock to stay in the South with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee.
